Alicia Keys – Pressing On – The Best Dylan Covers

Saved is the twentieth studio album by Bob Dylan, released on June 23, 1980. Among the songs are the hymn-like song, Pressing On.

“Two stand-out tracks, nonetheless: the turbulent ‘Pressing On’ (Dylan creating convincing hot gospel) and the intelligently submissive, courageous address (including a lovely, aptly devotional harmonica) that is ‘What Can I Do For You?””
~Michael Gray (The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia)

The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals and was produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler. In 2013 Alicia Keys chose Pressing On as her song for the documentary about “The Muscle Shoals sound”.

 

Muscle Shoals is a 2013 documentary film about FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the ‘Singing River’ as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals changed the world and sold millions upon millions of copies. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, he brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations while giving birth to the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound’ and ‘The Swampers’. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Gregg Allman, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono, and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery, and why it remains influential today.
– IMDB

Alicia Keys gives us a powerful gospel hymn. I love that she doesn’t exaggerate and keep the “voice gymnastics” in check, and it has a nice build-up, it sounds like a classic soul ballad. She was joined by some fantastic veteran session players for the session.

Alicia Keys went into the studio with David Hood (bass) and Jimmy Johnson (guitar) and other local musicians at FAME Recording Studios to record Pressing On for the documentary. They were joined by Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame songwriter and keyboardist Spooner Oldham, guitarist Larry Byrom (Steppenwolf), and drummer Brian Owings (see the video clip below).

‘There’s nothing about that girl I don’t like.’
– Bob Dylan

Great result!

Video clip from the documentary Muscle Shoals, Alicia Keys – Pressing On:

Alicia Keys – Pressing On (the complete song from the soundtrack album):

“I was thinkin’ ’bout Alicia Keys, couldn’t keep from crying
But she was born in Hell’s Kitchen, I was living down the line
I’m wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be
I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee.”
-Bob Dylan (Thunder On The Mountain)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_btn title=”Borntolisten @ Facebook” color=”blue” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-facebook-official” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJohannasVisions%2F||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_style=”outline” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-link” css_animation=”bounceIn”]Check out:

• MusicThisDay.com
• Lou Reed – Foot of Pride – The Best Dylan Covers
• Patti Smith – Changing Of The Guards – The Best Dylan Covers
• Emmylou Harris – Every Grain Of Sand – The Best Dylan Covers
• Peter Case – Long Time Gone – The Best Dylan Covers
• Nina Simone – Ballad of Hollis Brown – The Best Dylan Covers
• Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy – Brownsville Girls – The Best Dylan Covers
• Alison Krauss – I Believe In You – The Best Dylan Covers
• Jerry Garcia Band – I Shall Be Released – The Best Dylan Covers
• Roger McGuinn – Up To Me – The Best Dylan Covers
• Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris – Shelter From The Storm – The Best Dylan Covers
• George Harrison – If Not For You – The Best Dylan Covers 
• Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash – It Ain’t Me, Babe – The Best Dylan Covers
• Tom Jones – What Good Am I? – The Best Dylan Covers
• Rodney Crowell sings Bob Dylan covers
• Karl Erik’s expectingrain.com
• Olof’s “Still On The Road“

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